


between the lines

by RosaNautica



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 18:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16455188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosaNautica/pseuds/RosaNautica
Summary: Kimi doesn't mind.





	between the lines

**Author's Note:**

> Throwback to Austin. To Sebastian's congratulations, more specifically.

“Hey, what's up?” Kimi asked, patting his back, when it seemed to him he heard something close to a silent sob. “Sebi, what's wrong?”

“No… nothing,” Vettel replied, pulled away from him, blinking back tears, a sincere smile spreading on his face. “I'm so happy for you, Kimi! You really deserved a win like no one else…”

“You should be,” Kimi grinned. “I was fighting for your title, too, you know,” he nudged his teammate.

“Yeah…” The smile fell. “You were fighting for my title all season and I just threw it away.” No point in pretending this championship could still take any twist.

“It wasn't only you.”

“I made mistakes.”

“Everybody makes mistakes. We are humans, you know.”

Sebastian shook his head with a scowl.

“Kimi,” he spoke softly, after a while, “now that it's almost over, I just want you to know…”

The Finn held his breath, thinking _“don't, just don't…”_

“…you were a great teammate. A teammate every driver could only wish for. And I'm so, so happy that our friendship stayed stronger than all that was going on… I mean, we had our… tense moments, sure, but still… I want you to know, if I had to choose between you and the title… you know, there is always the next season,” he quirked a smile. “Thank you, really, Kimi. It ends, but… I'm glad at least it ends well…”

“It's not like I'm dying or stuff,” Kimi pointed out, “I'll be still around, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Vettel laughed. But it was going to be different. Back to just occasional talks during the drivers' parade or in spare time around the paddock. And maybe it's for the best, he thought.

“It was nice to race with you, too,” Kimi returned the compliment. “See you later.” He squeezed Seb's shoulder and walked to the door. He decided against glancing behind, for his teammate's own good. He knew what he would see, anyways; he could feel that teary, longing stare burning his back. Not that Kimi didn't know or care. He was neither dumb nor heartless. He just couldn't do anything for Sebastian. And when you know you can't do anything, the best thing is not to try. And every time Seb hugged him just a little tighter, just for a split second longer, than a teammate normally would, the smiles somehow too warm and looks too lingering, Kimi's heart cracked a tiny bit as he patted the German's back, replied with a generic friendly phrase appropriate for the moment and backed off. He never brought the matter up, he never avoided his teammate, nor he tried to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk or anything similar. He just knew and that was it. He didn't know if Vettel knew he knew, and he did nothing to find out. What for? Kimi has always hated bullshitting. They were friends and they both wanted to stay friends. Nothing else mattered, really, not to him.

**Author's Note:**

> All pure fiction, obviously.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments very welcome :)


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